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FATHER OF MOTHER'S PENSION LAW DENOUNCES
ACTION OF ORGANIZED CHARITY
Alleging the existence of a
charity trust, to force down the
wages of women and children,
Henry Neil, one. of the earliest ad
vocates of mothers pension laws,
yesterday scathingly denounced
the action of organized charity
throughout the country.
The Russell Sage foundation,
the $10,G0O,00Q charitable organ-
Henry Neil.
ization, was characterized by Neil
as the cornerstone of the "trust."
"The Russell Sage foundation,"
he said, "is forming a large trust
among the charitable organiza
tions of the country, and they will
soon have such power if they
are not checked that they will
be able to force the poor women
and children who have been left
destitute to work for lower
wages. I believe that is their ul
timate object."
Neil's remarks followed an ad
dress in Unity church, Oak Park,
on "Organized Charity Versus
Mothers' Pensions." He declar
ed that organized charity was
against fhe passage of proper
mothers' pension laws.
"The St. Louis mothers' pen
sion law which organized char
ities claim is their own provides
that 75 per cent of the funds shall
be paid for supervision and 25 per
cent for pensions," said Mr. Neil.
In answering the charges of .
Dr. C. E. Carstens, a Massachu
setts social worker, who had at
tacked mothers' pensions, Neil
said: "According to Dr. Cars
tens, organized charity is oppos
ed to relieving the needs of moth
ers of dependent children because
well-to-do people would not then
have any one on whom to expend
sympathy."
He also contended that organ
ized charities in the last ten years
have broken up thousands of
homes, and asserted they were
not in favor of individual homes,
but wanted poor children raised
in institutions.
Among the trustees of the Sage
foundation are Helen Gould.
President Daniel C. Gilman, of
Johns Hopkins university, and
Cleveland H. Dodge, chairman of
the executive committee of the
Red Cross.
"My coffee is not quite sweet
enough," remarked he. "Well, if
you don't like it I suppose you
will have to lump it," said she,
passing the sugar to him.